Various types of linear lighting apparatuses exist in the lighting industry today. Many of the latest lighting apparatuses use-light-emitting diodes (“LEDs”) as light sources. LEDs are individual point light sources that deliver a singular beam of light. Conventional linear lighting apparatuses that use LEDs are usually constructed for particular purposes. For example, the lighting apparatuses may be constructed for use on ceilings for lighting a room, for use within cabinets to illuminate the contents of a drawer or for use on an exterior wall for lighting a sign.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,361,186, for example, discloses a linear lighting apparatus using LEDs wherein the lighting apparatus is constructed generally for use on walls as commercial signage. U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,205 also discloses an LED-based linear lighting apparatus constructed generally for use on walls as signage. U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,393 discloses an LED linear lighting apparatus constructed generally for use as under-cabinet lighting for the home. Lastly, U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2006/0146531 discloses a linear lighting apparatus using LEDs wherein the lighting apparatus is constructed generally for lighting billboards or the facade of a building.
One of the problems with currently-available linear lighting apparatuses is the mechanism by which current is provided to the apparatus. Typically, an external wire carrying current is introduced into the interior of the linear lighting apparatus to power the light element, such as an LED strip. In this embodiment, the wire must be permanently coupled or soldered to the LED element. This arrangement is disadvantageous since it makes the removal or readjustment of the linear lighting apparatus more difficult and time-consuming. That is, if the linear lighting apparatus must be moved a short distance or simply opened for maintenance, the permanent coupling or soldering must be removed, which can waste time and cause damage to the apparatus, especially the sensitive LED elements within the apparatus. Further, since a static wire is permanently coupled to an LED strip within the linear lighting apparatus, frequent rotation of the linear lighting apparatus about its central axis over long periods of time can lead to a break or short circuit in the wire. Moreover, this configuration reduces the range of motion of the linear lighting apparatus, since the apparatus includes a soldered connection to a static wire.
Another problem with conventional linear lighting apparatuses is the complexity and time intensive nature of installing them. Typically, one or more linear lighting apparatuses of desired length are produced for a project and shipped to the installation site. Thereafter, the installation includes running wire (carrying current) to the linear lighting apparatuses, introducing the wire into the interior of the linear lighting apparatuses and permanently coupling or soldering an end of the wire to the LED strip within the apparatus. Consequently, conventional installation can be a time-consuming and tedious task that requires various tools and includes a risk of injury to the installer and a potential for damage to the equipment being installed. This is disadvantageous as it increases the time and cost of installation of the linear lighting apparatuses. The current installation process is further disadvantageous since it includes providing access to the interior of the linear lighting apparatus, which includes sensitive LED elements that can easily be damaged.
Therefore, there is a need to traverse the deficiencies in the art and more particularly there is a need for a more efficient and robust method for providing current to a linear lighting apparatus.